Arcflash incident

[weressl]

Yes, this is from Mike Frain in the U.K.

"I've just had word back from Marchwood Power Station and it seems as though the incident actually occurred at a waste to heat site near Heathrow Airport, London. I'll try to follow this up after the Easter holidays to see if there is any further information available. The initial report came from an international contractor working at Marchwood on the commissioning of the station. The report said

"Just a reminder of what can happen if the PTW system is not followed correctly......This incident took place while the contractor asked for getting Breaker information. However; they did not take a work permit and tried to remove the breaker without permission that caused an electrical flash over. This incident gives us a lesson will be discussed and communicate with all of us to avoid such incident to occur.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On 03/04/2009 at 08:40 hours an electrical flashover was reported while the contractor was trying to find the information regarding 480 KV breakers. This resulted in injuring three contractors employees; one with first degree burn and two with 2nd degree burns. All the victims were transported to clinic for first aid treatment and then transported to Care Hospital for further examination and treatment."

I'm still a bit confused as the 480kV probably means 480volts but this is not a standard voltage in the UK. The other issue is that information of an incident that is probably under investigation by the authorities does not appear so quickly in the public domain here. It is however a solemn reminder of what can go wrong on an ordinary piece of low voltage equipment. Mike "

I have another source working on this investigation, no info from him yet that he can discuss but i will post that when I get it.

Interesting, all the equipment seem to be ANSI. Could our house-Britts confirm or deny if such equipment is in standard use?

Especially since it is the old ITE gear that Siemens taken over in the US and only marketed it in the ANSI region since they have their own EC gear and now in the US they sell that Furnas $^&%*$ and the ITE gear is obsolete.

 

[Besoeker]

Interesting, all the equipment seem to be ANSI. Could our house-Britts confirm or deny if such equipment is in standard use?

From the pictures you posted, I'd say that it's pretty unlikely to be a UK installation.

 

[weressl]

From the pictures you posted, I'd say that it's pretty unlikely to be a UK installation.

That's what I tought.

Another demonstration of the reliability on Internet postings.

I am sure Zog or even the guy who gave him the information was hoodwinked....

 

[zog]

That's what I tought.

Another demonstration of the reliability on Internet postings.

I am sure Zog or even the guy who gave him the information was hoodwinked....

I have a more reliable source that is working on this, will find out real scoop if I can. 480V is not typical in the UK so I dont think that info was right.

 

[Besoeker]

I have a more reliable source that is working on this, will find out real scoop if I can. 480V is not typical in the UK so I dont think that info was right.

The executive summary you quoted said 480kV. That's obviously not right either.
The pictures posted by Laszlo show a few other things that don't square with it being a UK installation.
The voltage warning signs should look like this:

• 
• The absence of in insulating rubber mat running the entire length of the suite.
• The evident lack of door-interlocked breakers. The locked off mechanism and the operating shaft are shown on the floor. That kind of defeat simply should not be possible anywhere.
• The type of recpticles - one shown to the bottom right of the splash mark on the wall - are not UK standard. Looks like a NEMA 5-15.

The real issue is that people got seriously injured and that's bad news.
PPE could have lessened the injuries in this event.

A few other thoughts.
That these guys got into the panel without with the actuator evidently still locked off must surely be considered a design flaw.
That they could, and did so, on a locked off panel would indicate fault on their part.

It seems to me that we are seeing a combination of errors here.

 

[RJohnsonMasterElectrician]

guess there's no HIPPA in the UK.

 

[Besoeker]

guess there's no HIPPA in the UK.

HIPPA?
Do you mean Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?
If so, I'm not sure what the relavance is to the topic.
UK has health care free to all at the point of use.
All includes the young, the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed and those too idle to work who thus pay no taxes.

 

[hurk27]

After seeing this It sure wakes you up to working hot, and or with out the proper PPE gear.

The box by the ladder looks close to a tracer system that I have from Greenlee, also I noticed the there are only two of the 4 retainer screws in any view, maybe one landed across the bus?


I did a negative of the tub to see if I could see anything else but not sure what it supposed look like.

These three men are lucky to be alive, I pray for their recovery

 

[dbuckley]

The picture of the guy in the red t-shirt on the gurney shows a receptical on the wall, and that is no way a UK socket, and looks very USA to me. Edited to note that in the first picture you can also see some recepticals and they aren't UK either.

Additionally it shows a gas cylinder behind him, and its all white, so thats not UK either, its the wrong colour.

So not UK.

 

[jim dungar]

HIPPA?
Do you mean Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?

HIPPA includes patient privacy. Patient names and medical status may not be disseminated without a release from the patient.

 

[Besoeker]

HIPPA includes patient privacy. Patient names and medical status may not be disseminated without a release from the patient.

Thanks for that.
The same applies here.
Although, if your general practitioner (equivalent to a primary care physician there) refers you to a specialist, the specialist will send the results back to your doctor who made the referral in the first place.
Mrs B, who worked for a specialist, tells me it is the same in the US.

 

[Glenn Anderson]

All,
This has made the DOE Electrical Safety Site and states that this happened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Any others concure?

 

[Glenn Anderson]

Called the Jubail Project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

[Besoeker]

The picture of the guy in the red t-shirt on the gurney shows a receptical on the wall, and that is no way a UK socket, and looks very USA to me. Edited to note that in the first picture you can also see some recepticals and they aren't UK either.

So not UK.

I agree, not UK but where?
The English language signs and labels suggest a country where English is a language in common use and the receptacles look like a NEMA standard.
USA, Canada and some of the Caribbean islands would fit the bill.
On that basis my guess is that it is probably somewhere in North America.

 

[Jraef]

Could very well be an installation in an American compound inside Saudi Arabia. That is definitely ANSI / NEMA gear, that receptacle on the wall in picture 2 looks like the top half of a basic u-ground 120V duplex. Many of the American compounds are built to be fully self contained and use US equipment, voltages etc. The workers could be of middle-eastern background (although they could also be from Latin America as well as many other parts of the world). But there is one sign in pic 2 that appears to have Arabic-like writing on the top.

Slight tangent, but watch this video from Canada. Very graphic and informative.
It starts playing immediately and you have to scroll down to see it.
http://www.ebranders.com/showcase_electrical_safety_authority_arc_flash.html

 

[Besoeker]

All,
This has made the DOE Electrical Safety Site and states that this happened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Any others concure?

Makes sense.

 

[zog]

All,
This has made the DOE Electrical Safety Site and states that this happened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Any others concure?

We have a winner, and an update.

http://www.hss.energy.gov/csa/analysis/oesummary/oesummary2009/2009-04-01.pdf

 

[stgeorge]

My wife forwarded this email to me with the above pictures of the guys hurt. She recieced it froma a safety officer in her branch at her office were she works at an USAF installation and that accident occured on another USAF facility/base.. this is the email text i received without the pictures..

"........The below synopsis describes the attached photos of a mishap that recently occurred at a military installation here on the East coast and a graphic reminder of why PPE/training/safe work practices are so important within our commands. Daily many of our members are placed in hazardous situations; Please utilize this information as a serious reminder of the inherent risks of electricity and other hazardous employee tasks that require appropriate PPE.

On 03/04/2009 at 08:40 hours an electrical flashover was reported at IPSA-5 switchgear room 480 KV MCC 107A while
BI-10-0179 contractor {XXXXXX Contracting Company} was trying to find the information regarding 480 KV breakers.
This resulted in injuring three contractor employees; one with first degree burn and two with 2nd degree burns.
All the victims were transported to Pump Station 3 clinic for first aid treatment and then transported to hospital for further examination and treatment.......... "

 

[weressl]

My wife forwarded this email to me with the above pictures of the guys hurt. She recieced it froma a safety officer in her branch at her office were she works at an USAF installation and that accident occured on another USAF facility/base.. this is the email text i received without the pictures..

"........The below synopsis describes the attached photos of a mishap that recently occurred at a military installation here on the East coast and a graphic reminder of why PPE/training/safe work practices are so important within our commands. Daily many of our members are placed in hazardous situations; Please utilize this information as a serious reminder of the inherent risks of electricity and other hazardous employee tasks that require appropriate PPE.

On 03/04/2009 at 08:40 hours an electrical flashover was reported at IPSA-5 switchgear room 480 KV MCC 107A while
BI-10-0179 contractor {XXXXXX Contracting Company} was trying to find the information regarding 480 KV breakers.
This resulted in injuring three contractor employees; one with first degree burn and two with 2nd degree burns.
All the victims were transported to Pump Station 3 clinic for first aid treatment and then transported to hospital for further examination and treatment.......... "

Appearently one of those Internet hoaxes. See the latest post on this.